“I wish to God [Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hoschsprung] had an m-4 in her office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out…and takes [the gunman] out and takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids.” -Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
I know teachers. My father was a teacher. They have very hard jobs and while their job is publicly lauded, the reality is that what happens in today's classrooms is not understood or appreciated by people like Gohmert.
Teachers have a desire and responsibility to develop reading, writing, math, science and social skills in children. They are academic professionals who have spent years learning their profession and who continually evaluate and update their knowledge and skills. Here is just one video on what a teacher does:
She is a teacher who spends her own money on supplies and does not get paid for many hours and days of classroom preparation. Her mission and her job is to help children learn in a pleasant, structured and caring environment. If she wanted to blow the head off of criminals, she would have become a soldier or a policewoman. She chose a different path and should not be burdened with the task of killing people.
The Gun Owners of America only see one solution to school shootings "arm" the teachers. They cannot comprehend that it takes a lot of effort to desensitize oneself to taking a human life, even when your own life is at stake. Maybe they are so desensitized that it would be simple for them to just pull the trigger and kill a maniac, so why can't someone else. Let the teachers do the bloody work. Oh, and btw, they will most likely have to provide their own firearm, bullets, training, permits, etc., to be able to do something that Gohmert only talks about.
One more time, America...Are We Crazy?
Postscript...
The Vice President of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, supported by like-mindless citizens, came up with a solution to one of America's most tragic social problems, shooting sprees - LINK - and answers my question above. Maybe his name should be the first one on his proposed database of the mentally ill.
